A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheels used for automobiles, motorcycles, and other such vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved wheel of the knock-off hub type, and an adapter that permits ready installation of the wheel on vehicles originally equipped with brake drums or disks utilizing a plurality of bolts or nuts to attach the wheels to the vehicle.
B. Description of Background Art
A variety of different designs have been employed for detachable wheels used on automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and similar powered vehicles.
For example, Ash, U.S. Pat. No. 1,213,976, Aug. 26, 1919 discloses a Detachable Wheel For Automobiles that employs a plurality of radially and axially symmetric, axially projecting circular cross-section lugs to engage through-holes provided in the inner base flange of a demountable wire wheel.
Webster, U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,648, Jul. 6, 1920 discloses a Wheel Hub for detachable wheels that uses a plurality of radially and axially symmetric, radial sector-shaped lugs to engage radial slots in a demountable wheel.
Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,670, Feb. 4, 1969 discloses a Wheel Assembly which uses tapered lugs on a frusto-conic flaring unit attached to an axle to engage the beveled inner surface of a wheel hub.
Other U.S. Patents relating to the attachment of a wheel to the driving hubs of a vehicle include:
Sager, U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,423, Jun. 14, 1977, Free-Wheeling Spindle Adaptor: Discloses an adaptor capable of being mounted to the drive hubs of a vehicle to allow the vehicle to roll freely without rotation of the drive hubs or drive train. The adaptor includes an adaptor spindle which can be directly mounted to the drive hub using the wheel studs. A free-wheeling hub is mounted onto the adaptor spindle and includes a stud flange and studs providing an identical attachment pattern to that of the drive hub. The wheel of the vehicle may therefore be mounted on the free-wheeling hub such that the vehicle may be towed without injury to the drive line.
Hayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,449, Aug. 27, 1985, Vehicle Wheel Attaching Device: Discloses a vehicle wheel attaching device for removably attaching general-road traveling wheels to the hubs of a vehicle by utilizing an independent adapter in a manner enabling transmission of torque. The adapter is made approximately in the form of a top hat and is bent at its top to form a dish spring surface for contact with the head of a center bolt which extends outward through a central hole in the adapter. A center nut is attached to the projecting outer end of the bolt, the nut being tightened to permit elastic action of the top surface of the adapter, thereby fixing the wheel in position in a non-rigid condition.
Garrison, U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,562, Jul. 31, 1990, Wire Wheel Hub Adapter Apparatus: Discloses an adapter that allows installation of knock-off type wire wheels onto a studded brake drum. The adapter permits a wire wheel formed with an internally splined hub to be secured to the axle of the adapter. The adapter includes a central flange formed with a hollow axially aligned support hub formed with gradually increasing wall thickness to effect enhanced strength of the hub and ensure alignment of an associated extending axle. The extending axle includes an externally splined shaft located inward from the outer end of the axle, for receiving the associated wire wheel at an outwardly distal end, and an externally threaded outward portion for receiving the locking hub.
In addition to the wire wheel adapter apparatus disclosed in Garrison, hub-centric, positive engagement wheel/ adapter combinations known to the present inventor comprise two main types. One type employs complementary radially disposed teeth and grooves in the outer circular face of an adapter and the inner circular face of a wheel hub, respectively. A second type of wheel/adapter combination uses longitudinally disposed splines on the outer cylindrical surface of an adapter tube, and complementary longitudinally disposed splines on the inner cylindrical surface of the hub tube.
The present invention was conceived of to provide an improved adapter and wheel combination that allows wheels of the knock-off hub type to be installed on the disk hub or brake drum of the type used on most vehicles, in which a plurality of lug nuts or bolts hold the wheel by the hub or drum.